This disclosure relates generally to aerial delivery systems. More specifically, this disclosure relates to systems employed for securing cargo to a platform and for releasing the cargo from the platform.
For aerial delivery systems to which the disclosure relates, a cargo is secured to a platform which is loaded into the aircraft. The platform is extracted from the aircraft by an extraction parachute. Suspension parachutes are subsequently opened to complete the aerial delivery. The cargo is secured to the platform by various techniques which may, for example, include flexible straps secured around the cargo and placed in tension. For aerial delivery which involves land delivery, upon landing of the cargo, the straps are released to obtain access or usage of the cargo. For aerial delivery of vehicles, typically, four pairs of straps are employed. The straps are latched about the axles or other connection points at the underside of the vehicle and placed in tension. Upon landing of the platform, typically, each of the four latch assemblies is independently released so that the cargo vehicle may be unloaded from the platform.
For some aerial delivery applications, the cargo is essentially released in mid-air. For example, a rigid hull inflatable boat may be secured to a platform. A series of spigots on the rigid hull inflatable boat gunwale are engaged with calipers. The calipers are maintained in a closed motion by tension and restraining straps which locate the calipers for the aerial delivery platform. It is essential for safe water entry that the rigid inflatable boat be released prior to landing of the support platform. A release assembly employs a drop arm. The drop arm is operable to displace rods of a mechanical rod system. Each rod is connected for disengaging one end of the strap modules. When the platform is extracted from the aircraft, the drop arm drops and transfers the force via the mechanical rods to disengage the connection on the end of each strap module.